3628 results about "Exit surface" patented technology

In a method for manufacturing semiconductor devices and other finely structured parts, a projection objective (5) is used in order to project the image of a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective onto a photosensitive substrate which is arranged in the region of the image plane (12) of the projection objective. In this case, there is set between an exit surface (15), assigned to the projection objective, for exposing light and an incoupling surface (11), assigned to the substrate, for exposing light a small finite working distance (16) which is at least temporarily smaller in size and exposure time interval than a maximum extent of an optical near field of the light emerging from the exit surface. As a result, projection objectives with very high numerical apertures in the region of NA>0.8 or more can be rendered useful for contactless projection lithography.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a light guide of a variety of forms having a uniform distribution of brightness in the plane and a planer light source device for a liquid crystal display device which uses such light guide. The light guide comprises a first surface which is a surface to which a natural polarization light is incident and a second surface other than the first surface which is an exit surface of a specific polarization light into which, said natural polarization light is modulated, wherein;said light guide has an interface of two materials of different indices of refraction oriented at an angle of thetaB+/-alpha degrees relative to the primary propagation direction of said incident light, said thetaB being an angle satisfying Brewster's condition, more than two orientations of said interface exist in a single light guide, and the difference between the indices of refraction of the two materials of different indices of refraction is between 0.001 and 1.0. thetaB is typically about 45 degrees. The light guide comprises a first transparent member having a plurality of upwardly convex right angle isosceles triangles on a first surface thereof and a first index of refraction and a second transparent member having a plurality of downwardly convex right angle isosceles triangles on a second surface thereof and a second index of refraction, and said first surface and said second surface contact each other.

An optical beam transformation system, which can be designed to be utilized in an illuminating system of a microlithograpic projection exposure apparatus, has a sequence of optical elements arranged along an optical axis of the optical beam transformation system and designed for transforming an entrance light distribution striking an entrance surface of the optical beam transformation system into an exit light distribution emerging from an exit surface of the optical beam transformation system by radial redistribution of light intensity. The optical elements include at least one transformation element causing a radial redistribution of light intensity and having at least one transformation surface inclined to the optical axis and causing a polarization-selective reflection of a light distribution incident on the transformation surface according to an efficiency symmetry characteristic for the transformation surface. The optical elements further include at least one optical compensation element effecting a spatially dependent compensation of transmission inhomogeneties caused by the polarization-selective reflection at the transformation surface according to a compensation symmetry adapted to the efficiency symmetry of the transformation surface. Axicon elements with axicon surfaces may be used as transformation elements.

A virtual image display apparatus includes a first light guide that not only causes a display light flux incident through a first light incident surface to repeatedly undergo internal reflection to travel in a first direction away from the first light incident surface but also causes part of the display light flux to exit to the outside through areas of a first light exiting surface that is at least one of interfaces with the outside and extends in the first direction, a first light-incident-side diffraction grating that diffracts light incident thereon to cause the diffracted light to enter the first light guide, and a first light-exiting-side diffraction grating that diffracts light incident from the first light guide.

The present invention relates to an improvement of a total internal reflection lens whereby a tilted symmetry axis leads to a net deflection of the output beam away from the surface normal of the exit surface. Linear TIR lenses have a net deflection transverse to their focal strip. Circular TIR lens profiles going beyond 90° are tilted to bring the rim level with the source, the deflected rays exiting the lens to form an off-axis beam.

A solar concentrator is provided that comprises two stages. The first stage comprises either a trough-shaped concentrator cusp unit having two major opposed sides joined by two ends. The inner surfaces of the first stage concentrator are mirrored. Further, the ends have two flat, angled surfaces, while the two sides have a Bezier-generated cylindrical shape that approximate parabolic surfaces followed by a straight section. The second stage comprises a bi-axial gradient refractive index (GRIN) element, in which two gradient refractive index materials, each having a high index surface and a low index surface, are joined together along their high index surfaces. The two ends of the bi-axial element are flat, while the two sides also have a Bezier-generated cylindrical shape that approximate parabolic surfaces followed by a straight section. The top surface of the bi-axial element is provided with a cylindrical surface, while the bottom, or exit, surface is ground flat. The high index boundary is parallel to the side surfaces of the first stage unit. A solar cell is bonded to the flat exit surface of the second stage of the concentrator of the present invention. An array of such concentrators and solar cells, in which the solar cells are electrically interconnected, may then be deployed for converting solar energy into useful electrical energy. The 2-D/3-D concentrator evidences much lower mass than prior art concentrators. Further, as the array, or panel, of solar cells wobbles in space, the concentrator will continue to operate, even at lower efficiencies, due to the larger acceptance angle. Concentration ratios on the order of 50x are realized with the present concentrator. However, design studies allow concentration ratios in excess of 300x when used with 3-D versions of the same concept. The second stage can comprise mirrored surfaces. Or, the first stage can comprise a conical section and the second stage a radial GRIN element.

A wavelength division multiplexer is provided that integrates an axial gradient refractive index element with a diffraction grating to provide efficient coupling from a plurality of input optical sources (each delivering a single wavelength to the device) which are multiplexed to a single polychromatic beam for output to a single output optical receiver. The device comprises: (a) means for accepting optical input from at least one optical source, the means including a planar surface; (b) a coupler element comprising (1) an axial gradient refractive index collimating lens having a planar entrance surface onto which the optical input is incident and (2) a homogeneous index boot lens affixed to the axial gradient refractive index collimating lens and having a planar but tilted exit surface; (c) a diffraction grating, such as a Littrow diffraction grating, on the tilted surface of the homogeneous index boot lens which combines a plurality of spatially separated wavelengths from the optical light; and (d) means to output at least one multiplexed, polychromatic output beam, the means including a planar surface. The device may be operated in the forward direction as a multiplexer or in the reverse direction as a demultiplexer.

By introducing a stack of alternating high and low index dichroic material layers on the exit surface of a waveguide for a wedge type directional backlight, natural reflectivity differences between polarized components can be increased, effectively reflecting the vast proportion of S-polarized light rays, while at the same time transmitting the P-polarized light rays, of light impacting the exit surface of the waveguide at an angle sufficient to exit the waveguide. This recovers polarization in wedge type backlight systems, increasing illumination exiting the waveguide. Also, on the back reflecting surface of the waveguide, a birefringent material can be added to efficiently transform S-polarized reflected light from the dichroic stack, into returning P-polarized light. Because returning rays that are now P-polarized by the birefringent material have already achieved the critical angle for exiting the waveguide, the rays transformed to P-polarization can now also exit the waveguide, increasing waveguide illumination.

There is provided a light-guide, compact collimating optical device, including a light-guide having a light-waves entrance surface, a light-waves exit surface and a plurality of external surfaces, a light-waves reflecting surface carried by the light-guide at one of the external surfaces, two retardation plates carried by light-guides on a portion of the external surfaces, a light-waves polarizing beamsplitter disposed at an angle to one of the light-waves entrance or exit surfaces, and a light-waves collimating component covering a portion of one of the retardation plates. A system including the optical device and a substrate, is also provided.

An imaging optical system 100 has an imaging side prism 102 for bending incident light at about 90 degrees for reflection, and an image sensor 105 having a light receiving surface opposing to an exit surface 102b of the imaging side prism 102. At least one of an incident surface 101a of an incident side prism 101 and an incident surface 101a of the imaging side prism 102, or at least one of an exit surface 101b of the incident side prism 101 and the exit surface 102b of the imaging side prism 102 has an optical power. An arrangement relation between the exit surface 102b of the imaging side prism 102 and the image sensor 105 is established to satisfy the conditional formula (1):

0.0≦d/a<0.8   (1)

where d represents a distance between the exit surface 102b and the light receiving surface of the image sensor 105, and a represents a height of the light receiving surface of the image sensor 105 on a plane where an optical path of the imaging optical system 100 is folded, e.g., the size of the image sensor 105 in the shorter side direction thereof. This arrangement enables to reduce the thickness of an apparatus housing BD for incorporating the imaging optical system 100.

The disclosed apparatus is a surface illuminator i.e. surface light source typically used in lighting for liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The surface illuminator using point light source may comprise a first light guide member for a surface lighting having a first light exiting surface and a first light entering surface; a second light guide member for a light distribution having a second light exiting surface and a second light entering surface; at least one point light source (LED) optically communicated with the second light entering surface; a channel light guide member having a fiber optic channel array having a plurality of light guiding portions optically isolated one another; and wherein the channel light guide member is disposed between the first light guide member and the second light guide member. The second light guide member may be an elongated light guide member having a linear or nonlinear elongated member.

A planar light source device with highly uniform intensity and high light utilization efficiency, and a display apparatus incorporating the same, are provided. A light guide plate, configured by a material such as plate-shaped and transparent acryl resin, polycarbonate resin, or glass, causes incident light to propagate within the light guide plate and then to exit the light through an exit surface as a surface emitting light. A first recess is formed substantially in the center of the exit surface. The first recess is cylinder-shaped, and on a bottom thereof is provided a lens that refracts incident light from a light source, in a direction away from the center of a circle on the bottom.

A wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer is provided that integrates axial gradient refractive index elements with a diffraction grating to provide efficient coupling from a plurality of input optical sources (each delivering a single wavelength to the device) which are multiplexed to a single polychromatic beam for output to a single output optical source. The device comprises: (a) means for accepting an optical input from at least one optical source, the means including a planar surface; (b) a first coupler element comprising (1) a first axial gradient refractive index collimating lens having a planar entrance surface onto which the optical input is incident and (2) a first homogeneous index boot lens affixed to the first collimating lens and having a planar exit surface from which optical light exits; (c) a diffraction grating formed on the planar exit surface which combines a plurality of angularly separated diffracted wavelengths from the optical light; (d) a reflecting element for reflecting the plurality of diffracted wavelengths; (e) a second coupler element comprising (1) a second homogeneous index boot lens having a planar entrance surface onto which said plurality of diffracted wavelengths is incident and (2) a second axial gradient refractive index collimating lens affixed to the second homogeneous index boot lens; and (f) means for outputting at least one multiplexed, polychromatic output beam to an optical receiver, the means including a planar back surface. The device may be operated in either the forward or the reverse direction.

An optical arrangement comprising a light guide (101) having a light-entry portion (103) with a light-entry surface (105), a tapering portion (107) with a light reflecting surface, and a light-exit surface (109). The light-entry portion (103) is arranged to guide light from the light-entry surface (105) in a first direction (x) towards the light reflecting surface (H I), the light reflecting surface being arranged in relation to the first direction (x) so that incident light from the light-entry portion (103) is reflected towards the light-exit surface (109). A light transmitting layer (113) is adapted to transmit light diffusively and arranged to cover at least a portion of the light-entry edge surface (105) of the light guide (101). The arrangement is e.g. suitable for use in a LED based luminaire and allows for efficiency and forming of a light beam able to fulfill glare requirements. The arrangement may advantageously be used in a downlighting application.

Methods and apparatus are provided for projecting light carrying a data image. The apparatus comprises a first layer having regions of electrically alterable variable light transmittance adapted to form the data image, and a hollow cavity backlight having a light exiting surface coupled to the first layer and adapted to provide light to the first layer through the light exiting surface from one or more light emitters some of which point in a principal direction other than at right angles to the light exiting surface. In a preferred embodiment, LEDs are used as the light emitters and are preferably mounted on one or more printed circuit boards or other support tilted at non-zero angles with respect to the light exiting surface.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a display surface, and a surface light-emitting unit on the display surface consisting of a light source and a light guide plate for introducing light emitted from the light source into the interior of the light guide plate and emitting the light from an exit surface thereof, wherein at least the exit surface is formed from a resilient material and the exit surface is in tight contact with the display surface of the liquid crystal display panel.

A lighting device for streets, paths, and the like, includes a lighting unit containing a lighting element and a lens arranged in front of the lighting element in the main emission direction to produce a specified light distribution characteristic. The lens includes a light entrance surface on a light entrance side facing the lighting element and a light exit surface on a light exit side facing away from the lighting element, at which surfaces the light is refracted. The light entrance surface and/or the light exit surface of the lens is shaped in a direction transverse to the optical axis of the lighting element in such a way that the luminous intensity of the coupled out light, starting from a center plane that intersects with the optical axis, rises with an increasing emission angle from the optical axis at least partially according to a tangent function.

An observation optical system comprises an image display element 5 and an eyepiece optical system which introduces an image formed by the image display element 5 to a center of an eye of an observer without forming an intermediate image, so as to allow the observer to observe the image as a virtual image. The eyepiece optical system is constructed and arranged to bend the optical axis using reflecting surfaces so as to be compact. The optical axis lies in a plane, with respect to which the optical system is formed symmetric. The optical system includes a prism 3 having an entrance surface 33, a plurality of curved reflecting surfaces 31, 32 and an exit surface 31. The reflecting surface 32 is provided with a volume hologram (HOE) 4. Whereby, it is possible to provide an image observation optical system which can be made compact enough to be usable as an image display unit for a cellular phone or a portable intelligent terminal, and which can achieve high image definition and wide field angle while controlling chromatic aberration of magnification to be small.